Adhesive-backed decorative films have been used instead of conventional liquid paint in coloring or otherwise decorating portions of an automobile or other vehicle body. One use of such paint replacement film, for example, has been to paint the sash and pillar portions that frame the window of an automobile door. For such applications, adhesive-backed paint replacement films in tape form have been used that include a sash section and a pillar section corresponding, respectively, to the generally horizontal sash portion and generally vertical pillar portion of the window frame. Such tapes are typically die cut out of sheets of the desired adhesive-backed decorative film. The adhesive used is typically a pressure sensitive adhesive. The conventional practice of applying such adhesive-backed tape has been to first use a location tool that holds the adhesive-backed tape in the proper location for application to the window frame. After it is located, the pillar section of the tape is usually the first part to be applied/adhered to the window frame, typically by hand with a squeegee. Once the pillar section of the tape is adhered to the pillar portion of the window frame, the location tool is removed and a sash application tool is attached to the window frame and used to apply the sash section of the tape to the sash portion of the window frame. The application tool removes the liner from the tape while it rolls along the sash section of the tape so as to adhere this section of the tape onto the window sash.
Instead of using two tools to accomplish both operations, the tape application tool disclosed in Japanese Kokai Published Patent Application No. 2003063729 is able to combine such location and application procedures using one tool that includes features capable of accomplishing both functions. The tape applied using this tool includes a removable tab feature (e.g., the hook-shaped tape structure 5d shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the 2003063729 Japanese patent application) that is used to secure the location of the tape relative to the window frame, during the application of the sash section of the tape to the sash portion of the window frame. The tape has a two part release liner, one part protects the sash section of the tape and the other protects the pillar section of the tape. The tool removes the sash section of the liner as the tool applies/adheres the sash section of the tape. After the sash section of the tape is applied/adhered, the tool is removed. Next, the pillar section of the liner is removed, and the pillar section of the tape is applied/adhered by hand to the pillar of the window frame, typically using a squeegee. After the sash and pillar sections of the tape have been applied/adhered to the door window frame, the tab is torn off.
There is a continuing need to simplify and expedite the application of such tapes to the window frame of automobile doors as well as other vehicle doors.